The World Happiness Report 2025 ranks Kosovo as the 29th happiest country in the entire globe in 2024, making it the first happiest country in the region.

Life in Kosovo is rated at around 7 points (6.659) out of 10 overall, shows the report, which was published by a partnership between Gallup, the Oxford Centre for Well-being Research, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an editorial board.

The countries bordering Kosovo are behind, with Montenegro in 71st place, North Macedonia in 86th place, Albania in 89th place and Serbia in 31st place, the report reports. KosovaPress.

Kosovo's happiness index had its biggest decline in 2012, while it rose in 2018.

The report published by the UN this year focused on the impact of caregiving and sharing on people's happiness, for those who receive care and vice versa, for those who care for others.

Through surveys, the organization asked questions related to charity, volunteerism, and helping strangers. Based on the data, 54.8% of Kosovo's population donated to charity, 7.3% volunteered, and 62.7% helped a stranger.

Research shows that people are pessimistic about the charity of others, but when they lose wallets, they return them more often than they expected.

It also considered the positive impact of charity on others, which increased during COVID-19 and continues to grow. Although there was a decline from 2023 to 2024, charitable acts are still about 10% higher than before the pandemic, the report said.

Other parts of the report include sharing food with others, which represents a universal form of care and sharing, as well as family bonds.

People who live alone often experience lower levels of happiness. Even people who live in very large families may feel less happy, perhaps due to lower economic satisfaction.

According to the report, public policies should take into account how economic decisions can have secondary effects on relationships, thus affecting the well-being of families.

/Kosovapress/